A/w local OKC weekend hunting news:
Okla.'s dove season runs from the first of Sept. thru Oct. 30th. The
vast majority of hunting in Okla. occurs during the opening week.
Dove hunting is extremely popular in part because it marks the
beginning of the fall hunting season. This is the first opportunity
for the hunters to use their shotguns.
This elusive fast-flying bird offers a challenge to even the most
skilled shooters.
Mourning dove are the one of the most abundant birds in North
America and common thru out most of the state. Last year
more than 73,000 dove hunters harvested an estimated 1.8 million
birds. And as a game bird, the mourning dove is second in popularity
in the South only to the wild turkey.
Thirty-seven states have a mourning dove hunting season. In some
northern states, however, dove are protected as songbirds.
Some things to consider when dove hunting:
1. Don't let the West Nile Virus scare you. Doves are safe to eat.
Cooking the bird will kill the virus in the unlikely case a dove should
have the disease. And as a precaution, medical experts do recommend
wearing gloves when cleaning the birds.
2. Since the virus is transmitted thru mosquito bites, hunters should
be more concerned about the mosquitoes than the birds. Wear
plenty of repellent with DEET.
3. Always carry their Harvest Information Program permit. It has
been free but this year is $3. This fee is charged to help pay for the
administrative costs of the bird survey.
4. The daily bag limit for dove remains at 15 this season.
Sept. 6 and 7 are free hunting days for Okla. residents, and the permits
are not required for those days.
For the Animals,
Jana, OKC
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